RAF Hunsdon Dispersed Sites

Site 1 Communal. Sited off of the St Margarets Road, it contained 31 buildings and serviced the everyday type of domestic needs a large community of servicemen required. These included the dental unit(22) The Sergeants Mess (27) Two high level water tanks (8 & 9) Cinema that seated 355 (29) Dining hall and cookhouse for 820 (21) 10 blast shelters, 1 Stanton type air raid shelter, Barber shop, Tailor at the requisitioned Chesnut Cottage by the entrance gate, and at the other end of the site is the Sewerage works. These are still in place and working for the village of Hunsdon to this day. Sadly they are the only buildings left on the site, all of the others have been cleared. A large house now occupies the site where the Sergeants mess once was. Site No2 A site for All ranks and included Officers of 21 buildings. Sergeants and airmens Barrack huts. Air raid shelters, Ablutions, Anti gas clothing and equipment store( Special clothing , masks and barrier ointment in case of enemy attack with either Mustard Gas or Phosgene Gas), latrines (toilets) The only building remains found here are the base for the Picket hut (1) two Stanton type air raid shelters (ARS) a floor base for the Officers latrines (20) and partial foundation remains of a barrack hut (17) The comined Gymnasium and Chapel (32) was demolished some yeas ago and a new house built in its place. Photo below of the gymnasium taken in 1985. Site No3 Just off of the St Margarets Road Opposite the 'Bonningtons' turning. Again, a mixed ranks accomodation area with 21 buildings including Anti gas store, 4 Air Raid Shelters (Stanton types) Latrines and barrack huts. All four Stanton type air raid shelters (ARS) remain as do the raised brick foundations and steps to several of the barrack huts, and the remains of two latrines. Site 4 Fillets Farm. Mixed rank accomodation area for Officers , Sergeants and airmen of 33 buildings. Anti Gas store, 5 ARS Picket post, ablutions and latrines. Apart from three Stanton type air raid shelters, nothing else remains. Site 5 East of Fillets Farm. Sergeant and Airmens accomodation area of 20 buildings and three ARS. Nothing remains of this site apart from a mound of rubble. Site 6 South of Fillets farm and West of the St Margarets Road. Mixed (all Ranks) accomodation area of 33 buildings, 5 ARS, latrines , Anti Gas store, Drying rooms, barrack huts. Totally eradicated, apart from a previously unknown of hut foundation and signs of rubble, a single drainage inspection manhole under thick bushes in the corner of the site. Site 7 West of St Margarets Road and on the left hand side of the lane that leads to Fillets Farm. One of the largest mixed rank barrack sites containing 17 huts, each one for twelve persons. Latrines, drying rooms , ablutions and 4 ARS. site again has been totally eradicated from the landscape with no trace remaining. Site 8 Situated at Hunsdonbury, this has the most buildings remaining in situ. The site was for WAAFs and had six barrack huts for 21 persons and a single one for 18. Dining hall for 300 persons, Station sick quarters for 150, Equipment Section and offices, Sports Store, Gardeners cottage, Institute for 300 persons, Bath house, Boiler house, Decontamination block and Latrines. Of these the base for the Institute remains in amongst now mature trees, 6 Barrack huts of BCF type remain along with a small high level water tank. The site is strictly private. The Coach House was requisitioned for the Equipment Section and remains to this day as a private residence. The photo below shows the personel of the section outside the Coach house in 1943. The living and domestic parts of the airfield are referred to as Dispersed sites. The description means just that, dispersed away from the main airfield in case of air attack. All of these sites had their own air raid shelters and ablutions (toilets and washing ) Anti-gas equipment stores, M&E (Mechanical and Electrical plinths for power) The sites were for Officers NCO's and Airmen. WAAF's or to give them their proper name, the Womens Auxilliary Air Force had their own site at Hunsdonbury.

Wartime Airfields

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Wartime Airfields

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Wartime Airfields

Wartime Airfields

Site 1 Communal. Sited off of the St Margarets Road, it contained 31 buildings and serviced the everyday type of domestic needs a large community of servicemen required. These included the dental unit(22) The Sergeants Mess (27) Two high level water tanks (8 & 9) Cinema that seated 355 (29) Dining hall and cookhouse for 820 (21) 10 blast shelters, 1 Stanton type air raid shelter, Barber shop, Tailor at the requisitioned Chesnut Cottage by the entrance gate, and at the other end of the site is the Sewerage works. These are still in place and working for the village of Hunsdon to this day. Sadly they are the only buildings left on the site, all of the others have been cleared. A large house now occupies the site where the Sergeants mess once was. Site 2 A site for All ranks and included Officers of 21 buildings. Sergeants and airmens Barrack huts. Air raid shelters, Ablutions, Anti gas clothing and equipment store( Special clothing, masks and barrier ointment in case of enemy attack with either Mustard Gas or Phosgene Gas), latrines (toilets) The only building remains found here are the base for the Picket hut (1) two Stanton type air raid shelters (ARS) a floor base for the Officers latrines (20) and partial foundation remains of a barrack hut (17) The comined Gymnasium and Chapel (32) was demolished some yeas ago and a new house built in its place. Photo below of the gymnasium taken in 1985. Site No3 Just off of the St Margarets Road Opposite the 'Bonningtons' turning. Again, a mixed ranks accomodation area with 21 buildings including Anti gas store, 4 Air Raid Shelters (Stanton types) Latrines and barrack huts. All four Stanton type air raid shelters (ARS) remain as do the raised brick foundations and steps to several of the barrack huts, and the remains of two latrines. Site 4 Fillets Farm. Mixed rank accomodation area for Officers , Sergeants and airmen of 33 buildings. Anti Gas store, 5 ARS Picket post, ablutions and latrines. Apart from three Stanton type air raid shelters, nothing else remains. Site 5 East of Fillets Farm. Sergeant and Airmens accomodation area of 20 buildings and three ARS. Nothing remains of this site apart from a mound of rubble. Site 6 South of Fillets farm and West of the St Margarets Road. Mixed (all Ranks) accomodation area of 33 buildings, 5 ARS, latrines , Anti Gas store, Drying rooms, barrack huts. Totally eradicated, apart from a previously unknown of hut foundation and signs of rubble, a single drainage inspection manhole under thick bushes in the corner of the site. Site 7 West of St Margarets Road and on the left hand side of the lane that leads to Fillets Farm. One of the largest mixed rank barrack sites containing 17 huts, each one for twelve persons. Latrines, drying rooms , ablutions and 4 ARS. site again has been totally eradicated from the landscape with no trace remaining. Site 8 Situated at Hunsdonbury, this has the most buildings remaining in situ. The site was for WAAFs and had six barrack huts for 21 persons and a single one for 18. Dining hall for 300 persons, Station sick quarters for 150, Equipment Section and offices, Sports Store, Gardeners cottage, Institute for 300 persons, Bath house, Boiler house, Decontamination block and Latrines. Of these the base for the Institute remains in amongst now mature trees, 6 Barrack huts of BCF type remain along with a small high level water tank. The site is strictly private. The Coach House was requisitioned for the Equipment Section and remains to this day as a private residence. The photo below shows the personel of the section outside the Coach house in 1943. The living and domestic parts of the airfield are referred to as Dispersed sites. The description means just that, dispersed away from the main airfield in case of air attack. All of these sites had their own air raid shelters and ablutions (toilets and washing ) Anti- gas equipment stores, M&E (Mechanical and Electrical plinths for power) The sites were for Officers NCO's and Airmen. WAAF's or to give them their proper name, the Womens Auxilliary Air Force had their own site at Hunsdonbury.
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Wartime Airfields

RAF Hunsdon Dispersed Sites